OK, thanks Anne. I don't think that boiling would do it though. Jennyema has got me converted. She told us about the toxins that are released by the bacteria that aren't killed by boiling. I'm a strict freezer girl now. It skeered me.

Jennyema's right. Boiling doesn't kill all the critters.

Make the stock, use it within about 5 days or freeze it. Boiling is only asking for trouble.

If you want to extend the life of the stock, reduce it and add extra salt- but only if you know that the recipes you'll be using it in can handle the salt. Otherwise, use it freeze it.

Gelatin (collagen) is what many labs use to grow bacteria. Bacteria LOOOOOOVE growing in stock. You don't want to mess around with these buggers.

I would have to say I prefer a stock made from scratch. I would suggest reducing your stock to a nice thick demi then freeze in icecube trays wrapped in the freezer. This way you can add one icecube instead if a boullion cube in which is filled with who knows what kind of chemical. Which would you rather put in your mouth.

Freezing stock in ice cube trays is a handy dandy thing, for recipes calling for small amounts of stock as opposed to cups of it.

Fraidy

Now, now FraidKnot ... who said you can't pop more than one cube of stock into your recipe?!

As a stock-freezer-in-cubes person, I swear by it. The alternative (shove a big container in the freezer) IS just fine if you need a large quantity, but it's significantly less versatile. Need a much smaller amount? Get the huge stock-ice-cube out and hack away at it with your bread knife?

Some bacterial toxins are killed by heat. Some aren't. All are NOT the same. You will have no doubts if your chicken stock is spoiled. It stinks to high heaven.
I boil whole chickens for stock all the time. The broth/stock will keeep in the fridge for a number of days if left under the solidified layer of rendered fat, but there is not much reason to do it. I defat and put in ZipLoc bags for storage. Freeze flat and then stack.
I also concentrate the stock for freezer space and then dilute it when I use it.

Let me clarify what I do. I never, EVER leave chicken stock in the refrigerator. As soon as it's cool, it goes into plastic containers and into the freezer. I am not an expert in Food Safety, but I would certainly advise everyone to freeze their stock right away rather than refrigerate it. You can't fool around with poultry, and it spoils so easily. It's far better to err on the side of caution and freeze it.

Will often use ths stuff in the can or box when we just don't have the time.

But do love to make stock, although I usually roast the bones or chicken pieces first. It makes the house smell so nice.

auntdot - I'm a bone-roaster from way back!! I also like to cut an onion in half and literally burn on the griddle - this doesn't add any kid of burned flavor at all but gives the broth a warmer, richer color. But roasted bones is the key in my house.

Chicken stock is the workhorse of the kitchen. Stripped down, it's essential components (like all good stocks) are clean water (filtered if necessary, but not distilled), bones/joints, aromatics, herbs and spices. It's essential that high quality ingredients are used, as the flavors derived are subsequently reduced and condensed which will magnify any shortcuts taken. The mouth-feel of a good stock is created by collagen in the connective tissues breaking down into gelatin. Some flavors and aromatics are volatile, and care must be taken not to boil them away. Boiling is bad not just for flavor, but also decreases the clarity of the final product. If simmered properly, there should be very little evaporation. Frequent skimming is also necessary to remove foam and scum which will reduce the stock's quality if left to break down and suspend itself. Stock should be started cold and cooked at a bare simmer. Cooking time begins once the stock reaches a bare simmer.

Place the chicken in a large stock pot, and add the water to cover. Bring the chicken to a a bare simmer over medium heat and then reduce the temperature to maintain the bare simmer as necessary. If the water level falls below the level of the chicken, heat some water in a separate sauce pan and gently replenish some of the lost water. Do not completely replenish the lost water, as the stock eventually needs to reduce to 1-gal.

Four hours into simmering add the rest of the ingredients.

After the stock has simmered for five hours, carefully strain it with a chinois or cheesecloth and measure the final volume - the target is 1-gal (4-qts). If the volume is short, add enough water to reach 4-qts. If the volume is large, return the strained stock to a simmer, and reduce until 4-qts is achieved. Chill the stock, and then degrease once the fat has stratified and turned solid.

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Brown Chicken Stock

Brown chicken stock is used for hearty poultry or vegetable based dishes. Stripped down, it's essential components (like all good stocks) are clean water (filtered if necessary, but not distilled), bones/joints, aromatics, herbs and spices. It's essential that high quality ingredients are used, as the flavors derived are subsequently reduced and condensed which will magnify any shortcuts taken. The mouth-feel of a good stock is created by collagen in the connective tissues breaking down into gelatin. Browning the bones and aromatics not only brings color, but makes use of the Maillard and Caramelization reactions to increase flavor complexity and depth. It's important that sufficient browning is reached, but care must be taken not to burn anything. Burnt items create a bitter flavor in the stock which is unpleasant and gets worse as the stock is reduced. Some flavors and aromatics are volatile, and care must be taken not to boil them away. Boiling is bad not just for flavor, but also decreases the clarity of the final product. Frequent skimming is also necessary to remove foam and scum which will reduce the stock's quality if left to break down and suspend itself. Stock should be started cold and cooked at a bare simmer. Cooking time begins once the stock reaches a bare simmer.

Preheat the oven to 425*F and heat a large heavy roasting pan filmed with canola Oil. Add the chicken bones and roast until evenly browned, turning as needed - roughly one hour. Remove the chicken to a large stock pot, and add the water to cover. De-glaze the roasting pan with some water, and add to the stock pot. Bring the chicken to a a bare simmer over medium heat and then reduce the temperature to maintain the bare simmer as necessary. If the water level falls below the level of the chicken, heat some water in a separate sauce pan and gently replenish some of the lost water. Do not completely replenish the lost water, as the stock eventually needs to reduce to 1-gal.

Three and a half hours into simmering, film a skillet with canola oil and add the mirepoix (onion, carrot, and celery). Saute over medium-high heat until the onions are caramelized. Add the tomato paste to the pan and stir constantly until it turns a golden brown and smells sweet. De-glaze the pan with a few ladles of stock, and then add the mixture to the stock pot along with the remaining ingredients.

After the stock has simmered for five hours, carefully strain it with a chinois or cheesecloth and measure the final volume - the target is 1-gal (4-qts). If the volume is short, add enough water to reach 4-qts. If the volume is large, return the strained stock to a simmer, and reduce until 4-qts is achieved. Chill the stock, and then degrease once the fat has stratified and turned solid.

I often use a separator to degrease my stocks rather than chilling in the sink and then refrigerating overnight to wait for the fat to stratify/solidify. Then I freeze in 2-C containers. Personally, I think that reconstituted stock tastes different than stock frozen at it's normal concentration. Reducing stock to a glace causes it to lose alot of the volatile flavor compounds of the herbs/garlic/spices. You can reconstitute it and then simmer for an hour with a fresh sachet, but I like the convenience of pulling out the container, microwaving for 3-4min (bringing it to room temp) and then using it.

I'm not overly worried about contracting Ebola from my cooked stock. I'm always careful about cross-contamination with raw and cooked products, but a cooked chicken stock (especially when cooled and stored in the fridge) takes a while to go bad. Sometimes I'll let a few containers defrost in the fridge on Monday to use throughout the week, and then use them the following weekend when I clean out my leftovers into a soup or stew. This is one area I think Americans go a bit over-board on. When you're wearing a biohazard suit with a scott-airpack in your kitchen transferring a frozen turkey leg into a pot I think it's time to get out and breath in some good-ole germs for awhile...

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__________________Nick ~ "Egg whites are good for a lot of things; lemon meringue pie, angel food cake, and clogging up radiators." - MacGyver